hey, I love my Kindle -- it's actually a lot like reading off paper. The screen is VERY clear and crisp (it's not like reading off a normal computer screen). I like it mostly because I can load up a bunch of books and carry it with me, so I always have something to read. When I get to the end of one book it's just a couple of taps to get to whatever's next.

I don't have a kindle but this week I bought an app for my iphone - the extended ebook for Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall. I thought it might be a crazy idea - door-stopper book, small screen but I'm enjoying it. When I'm travelling, on the underground or train, I don't like carrying heavy books so I feel an e-reader is a great alternative. Didn't notice any eye strain - if anything, it's easier to read because it's backlit and text size is adjustable.

I don't know where you live, but I'm in NYC, and there are tons of people who use Kindle. My boss and his wife are two of them; Another, the head of the IT department of my company. Trains in the morning are still packed with people clutching books, but the number of Kindle users is rising. I've been considering one, myself. If you live somewhere that requires a lot of walking and you tend to read more than one book at a time, or books that tend toward the heavy side, Kindle is unquestionably an asset. My boss also uses it for his subscription to the Wall Street Journal and gets a hefty discount in addition to guaranteed delivery, whereas the print version is hundreds of dollars and may or may not find its way to his house on time in the morning or during "weather." So the short answer to your questions is: yes. People do.

I have been in love with my Kindle 2 (K2) for just over a year now and really can't live without it. It's become my iPod for books really. Yes, I still by the occassional "real book" but I love the fact that I can be anywhere and decide I want to read a specific book (usually my taste of book is available at the Amazon Kindle store) and no matter what the book is, the Kindle always fits in my purse and is light weight. I can't recommend them enough really! I also like the fact that I only need one hand to use it and turn pages with so i can be hugging my dog in the other arm and scratching his ear or chin with that hand. :)

I love my Kindle. As an avid reader, it makes it much easier to purchase books since it works like a cell phone--you can buy books anywhere as long as your Kindle is accessing a wireless signal. Regarding eye-strain, the screen is formatted so it reads like the ink in a book or a newspaper and it does not hurt your eyes after you've been reading for a while. Though it lacks the smell of books, it's a great option if you love to read and don't have a lot of time to go to the bookstore. Plus, you can get newspaper and magazine subscriptions through Kindle and they are delivered to your Kindle the moment they hit the Internet, which is great if you have a current subscription to a newspaper because the prices on most, if not all, books/newspapers/magazines are discounted and some are free.

I don't have a kindle, but I have a sony pocket e-reader and I never leave home without it. I sit and work on a computer all day with the back lit screen and my eyes get so tired. I can read for hours on my e-reader and feel no strain at all. Actually, unlike in a physical book, you can adjust the font size to fit your needs for that moment. Tired eyes? Make the font size larger.

And with the e-ink that the readers are using these days there is no extra strain on your eyes than reading a news paper.

Also, with the memory capacity, no more lugging around multiple books or storing them away.

Best Christmas present ever.

I love my kindle! I never find myself without a new book to read--just contact Amazon and a new one arrives! I am a little aggravated with Amazon however--I recently received a hefty Barnes and Noble gift card and I can't download from their books to my kindle because Amazone has an encryption package that allows only their own books to work. Maybe I should have looked at nook or sony???

I have had the Kindle 1 for quite awhile now. I absolutely love it. I love books and I was a little worried I wouldn't like it but I knew it was going to be okay when a couple of minutes into my first book instead of tapping next I actually reached down to turn the page.

Linda T. - Barnes and Noble won't allow their e-books to be loaded onto any other reading devices. So even if Kindle opened up their reader, Barnes and Noble e-books are still locked down to nook only.

Have you tried to purchase from other e-book sites? One that I have often used is Powells. I have a sony e-reader, and I just make sure that the e-book I am buying from Powells is in the correct format and poof, no problems at all.

I know this doesn't solve your problem about having a Barnes and Noble gift card, just wondering.

I think the Kindle is great...My home library was overflowing the books and those are only the ones that I kept to re-read. You can change to font size (great if you forget you reading glasses) and there are many books that are free or bargain priced. Most new release hard covers are only 9.99. I have re-read Swiss Family Robinson (it was my favorite as a child) and 101 Dalmatians (I was watching it with my granddaughter and realized the movie was very different from what I remembered). As for the person with the B&N gift card, just go buy some real books with it!

I am learning to like my Kindle more and more. It is easy to transport and now I have an app on my I-Phone and can pick up where I left off in my book even if I don't have the Kindle with me.

I bought my husband (who reads door stopper books) a Kindle for a week long european business trip. He is night blind and has pretty impaired vision in general. He now uses nothing but the Kindle. It has solved all his physical problems with reading he says! He has thanked me so many times - sadly I will obviously never again find such a stellar gift for him. ;-D

I love my Kindle. It is easy to use, read, and get new books in mere seconds. I also use Calibre, an online ebook manager. It asks me what format I want my ebook in , I hit the Kindle button and am good to go.

i love my kindle 2!!!

Kindle is designed to prevent eye strain. I love my books. I now buy both paper and ebooks. I have extended my ebook purchases to Borders, which I read on my phone (android). I love it that I don't have to wait to read with ebooks. Also, easier to read in sunlight, no sun-glare from the page. Usually I can be found with my Kindle and my current paperback in my purse. One paperback, over one hundred books on the Kindle. I love both.

Daily. The e-ink, the fact that it's not back lit, and the adjustable font all prevent eyestrain. It's like reading off a page made just for you.

Put it this way....my husband is very jealous of "kindle"...however, it will never replace the look and feel and smell of a book or the delight in sharing a great book with a friend. It is incredibly convenient though.

I love reading books. But, I am also a lover of international travel and it was becoming very difficult to pack the number of books I needed to satisfy my reading needs, and stay within luggage weight restrictions. My Kindle solved that problem. I love it.

I enjoy Kindle... only now started using it regularly

I didn't think I would ever want a Kindle, and then a friend gave me one and I'm in love with it! I love real books and I have so many I no longer have shelf space for them. The Kindle doesn't replace the heft and beauty of a paper book; however, the Kindle does allow me to carry one compact "book" that holds as many books as I want. It is easy on the eyes, lightweight, and fantastic for traveling. I'm happy to have a Kindle over, say, reading books on an iPad because the Kindle is like reading any book - no email distractions. I've had my Kindle for about 3 weeks now and I'm reading more than I had been reading before. The price has come way down since the first Kindle. Try it! I was very pleasantly surprised.

Just like everyone else seems to be saying, i LOVE MY KINDLE. I got it last week as a gift, and already have finished a book and started another on it. It is so convenient, has a great display, and very few "functions" so it is simple to learn to use. Mine has frozen once since I've gotten it, which obviously a real book does not do, but the convenience of such a sleek device in place of a bulky book outweighs the inconvenience of one episode of freezing. The books are cheap in the Amazon store, and the device has revitalized my love for pleasure reading as a busy college student!

I have a Kindle and it's nice. I just cannot get into the idea of ebooks no matter where I read them. I do like it for reading the newspaper. It uses a special eInk screen so there is no eye strain. They can have my paper books though when they pry them from my cold dead fingers.

Vanessa, I'm with you on the "cold dead fingers" thing! I love reading books on my Kindle - and I love to sit anywhere in my house and let my eyes roam the bookshelves and occasionally pull a book from the shelf, open it, and read.

I ONLY bought Kindle to REDUCE eyestrain, not add to it. I can now read 10 times more than I could from paper books. Plus reading from the Kindle is actually much more fun than paper books and in most people's experience, they read far more, once they own a Kindle (or other ereader device.) Plus is a pure delight to have the capability of carrying 10-100's of our favorite books in one tiny device. The Kindle (& other similar devices) have totally changed the reading experience for millions. Yes, we DO use Amazon Kindle - constantly!

nothing like criticizing something you've never even used.

no. no one really uses the kindle. they just buy them and toss them out.

I hate the kindle. It is complicated and much to much time wasted trying to use the damn thing. I want my money back and I will go to the local book stores with my refund or the local library. Every time I try to buy a book I am told something different. My password is wrong, etc. It is a piece of junk and obviously kindle is not interested in selling books and god forbid you try to get a free one.

I don't like reading books on my Kindle, but I now read the NYT and the Raleigh News & Observer daily on my Kindle. I rarely read newspapers before I purchased my Kindle, but now, I never miss an issue.

eye strain? do you know anything about the kindle? maybe you should do a little research on how it works before criticizing it. i'm an avid reader and i'm completely in love with my kindle.

I don't have an answer. I do have a question. Is a kindle an appropriate gift for a nine year old who loves to read?
Pros and cons please. Thanks, Helen

I have had my Kindle just over a year. Before getting it, I did think I may well miss reading print copies, but I have not at all. It is awesome to be able to carry around so many books without filling up or weighing down my handbag. The screen is not back lit/LCD so no eyestrain. Looks and feels like you are reading from a paper copy. I also know quite a few people who also have kindles and they all love them! The Kindle is awesome and I think it will go from strength to strength!

@Helen W.
The question is more, will they use it? If they are already an avid reader, I believe they will absolutely love it. In my opinion, much better than a nintendo ds or similar devices!

The kindle is ok. For travel. But e- books are MUCH to expensive and very complicated to give to someone else to read. I like books better because people who can't afford e-readers can still have books to read, at the library, or wherever books are donated.

My 14-year-old granddaughter reads but was not an avid reader until she bought herself a Nook. Now she reads all the time.

Helen, I think a Kindle is a lovely gift for a 9-year-old who loves to read. The price has come way down on the black-and-white version, and now you can one with a touch screen. Go for it!

Bherr,
You can lend/borrow some ebooks, they're simple to gift, and they are available from the library. In addition, a lot of pretty impoverished classrooms are raising money to get them because of all the opportunities for free books.

i llllllllllllooooooooooooovvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeee kindle it is my favorite my hole family has one because of me ;)